Reading is comprehension, it is a complex network of interrelated skills, and it involves several levels of thinking, but in a holistic rather than in a molecular response to the text. The practice of reading based on this theoretical understanding involves identifying levels of comprehension; noting that levels of comprehending are not strictly sequential, discrete entities but reflect a change of emphasis; and noting that readability is linked to the interaction of reader, purpose, task, and text. An effective reader needs to be able to recognize words and combine them, recognize and comprehend lengthy and complex units of meaning, be able to read at different rates for different tasks, be able to comprehend meaning in various print texts, obtain meaning at levels beyond the literal, understand reading strategies, and understand reading as a source of pleasure and personal fulfillment. Practice in reading instruction should include a variety of methods and groupings, including individual/group reading and discussion, the class listening to and discussing material read to them by the teacher, and individual/group work on how to process factual information. (TJ)